Fighting the odds: strategies of female caregivers of disabled children in Zimbabwe |
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Authors: | Elise Jantine van der Mark Hebe Verrest |
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Affiliation: | 1. Graduate School of Social Sciences, International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;2. Department of Geography, Planning and International Development Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Caregivers of disabled children face numerous challenges in meeting their child’s needs. Research on Zimbabwean caregivers of disabled children is limited. Yet the difficult socio-economic, political and institutional context is expected to complicate the caregiving task. This article examines the resources and caring strategies of female caregivers in Mutare, Zimbabwe, using a well-being framework. Through a mixed-methods approach, the data reveals that external support is extremely limited, particularly due to stigma and a weak state. Caregivers are mostly self-reliant and their strategies focus on enabling themselves to take care of their child. |
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Keywords: | disability children caregivers well-being Zimbabwe Africa |
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